My heart goes out to all those in Dallas, especially for the police officers that were killed and wounded tonight. I grieve for them and their families. Make no mistake: this is the greatest tragedy tonight.
I’m also deeply sad for the thousands of people who have had their voices hijacked by people who sought to commit terror tonight. If you can set the tragedy aside, it’s remarkable to think that so many came together in so many communities to further the conversation our society needs to have about injustice, racial tension, and overreaching of authority by those charged with protecting us.
The problem is that this may now devolve into another polarizing issue that’s over-simplified to being either anti-black or anti-cop. Just like Orlando prompted discussions about whether certain people shouldn’t be able to buy guns, we need to have the same conversation about whether certain people shouldn’t be able to become cops.
It is possible for people to grieve these officers in Dallas and other law enforcers who have made grave sacrifices, while at the same time question whether current climate and procedures give way to an abuse of power by police, and whether they should be held to a higher standard. I’m fearful however that our idea institutions and leadership have become so weak that we won’t have that thoughtful discussion before more lives are lost.
Tonight is a sad night, this week is a sad week – not only for those lives that were lost, but also for our kids. I’m sad about the world they’re going to grow up in.